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Changes in the Albion Political System
20 years after defeating his older brother Logan and assuming the throne of Albion, the Hero of Brightwall decides to change his country's political system by creating the Parliament of Albion, the Senate of Albion, and the Council of Twelve. The Parliament of Albion The Parliament, essentially, was the democratically elected legislature of Albion, elected every seven years (except for wartime situations, in which case the election of the Parliament would be delayed) by the nation's common citizenry. It was composed of 150 members. Each member of Parliament voted on a one-man, one-vote basis when voting on legislation and in the election of certain members of the Senate of Albion. The Senate of Albion The Senate was the upper legislative chamber of Albion, possessing a veto power over bills passed by the Parliament. There were 99 senators elected by the Parliament. The Senate also had 25 members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the ruling sovereign, and over 500 hereditary nobles had Senate seats as well. All senators except the 25 royal appointees served for life. The Senate had limited legislative powers, as it could only vote on bills passed by the Parliament. When it came to the voting on legislative bills and the election of the Council of Twelve, the 99 members elected by Parliament possessed one vote each, the 500-plus hereditary aristocrats had two votes each, and the 25 royal appointees possessed 10 votes each. In case the throne was vacant, the 25 Senate seats possessed by royal appointees automatically became vacant. The Council of Twelve The Council of Twelve was a body composed of 12 members elected by the Senate, but any member could be dismissed by a two-thirds vote of the Parliament. The Council had several functions. It served Albion's ruling monarch as an executive advisory council. The Council also was the country's supreme court. In cases the ruling sovereign was incapacitated or outside Albion in foreign territory or if the throne was vacant, the Council of Twelve executed the sovereign's functions. The Monarchy The ruling monarch of Albion, even after the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional parliamentary monarchy, still was the country's chief executive. He also appointed judges to courts subordinate to the Council of Twelve. The sovereign in theory had veto power over bills passed by the Parliament and the Senate, but in practice the royal assent was almost always granted to legislation. Sucession to the throne was vested in an heir appointed by the monarch, although the heir had to be approved by a majority of the Council of Twelve. Election to a Vacant, Heirless Throne In cases the throne became vacant due to the lack of an heir, members of the Parliament and the Senate would vote for a new monarch, although all candidates had to be nominated by 20 members of Parliament or 10 senators. A candidate for the throne had to receive an absolute majority of votes cast for monarch in order to become Albion's sovereign ruler. Political convention stated that if no candidate received an outright majority of the votes of senators and Parliament members voting, there would be a second, runoff election pitting the top two vote-getters in the first round of votes. In case of an election to a vacant throne lacking an heir, the members of Parliament and the 99 senators elected by Parliament possessed one vote each, while the hereditary nobles serving as senators had two votes each. Political Parties Albion after the death of the Hero of Brightwall developed two major political parties: the Red Party and the Blue Party. Ideologically, the Red Party wanted a decentralzed government, with much political authority vested in elected officials who governed individual regions, cities, and villages. The Blue Party wanted a strong national government and was strongly pro-military, nationalist, and pro-law-and-order. Both Reds and Blues were led by hereditary, aristocratic members in the Senate, although senators sometimes changed party allegiance. Members of Parliament were almost always elected as Reds or Blues. The ruling monarchs of Albion were almost always Blue Party in their sympathies, and most of the time the Blue Party had majorities in the Parliament and the Senate. The strongest support for the Red Party traditionally was the Northern Wastes and the far southern region of Aurora, especially it's Deep Red wing. The Blue Party traditionally was strongest in the capital city of Bowerstone and the northern portion of the Albion mainland with it's fertile farmlands. The largely forested and marsh- and swamp-dotted southern portion of the Albion mainland and the western islands like Witchwood and Hook Coast mostly were Blue Party in allegiance, but sometimes these regions shifted to the Red Party. As for the Red Party's Pink Faction, it was strongest in the capital of Bowerstone and both the northern and southern portions of the Albion mainland. In the western islands, the local leadership of the Red Party often shifted between the Deep Reds and the Pink Faction. Republicanism A faction within the Red Party (the Deep Reds) wanted to abolish the monarchy and create an Albion Republic, with the Council of Twelve completely replacing the king or queen as the nation's chief executive. Howver, many Red Party members (the Pink Faction) and almost all Blue Party members still supported the constitutional monarchy. Eventually, 525 to 545 years after the death of the Hero of Brightwall, armed rebellions by extreme Deep Red elements in Aurora, the Northern Wastelands, Witchwood, and Hook Coast saw the successful defeat of Albion's royal government and the creation of the Deep Red Republic in Aurora, the Northern Wastelands, Witchwood, and Hook Coast. The Blue Hegemony With the loss of the western islands, the Northern Wastelands, and Aurora, the Blue Party consolidated it's status as Albion's semipermanent majority party, as much of the people and regions who provided the Red Party it's electoral and popular support were no longer part of the kingdom. Elections to the Parliament of Albion after the creation of the Deep Red Republic, beginning 545 years after the death of the Hero of Brightwall (the 20-year war delayed the election of Parliament; this was the first election to Parliament in 23 years) saw the Blues win five elections in a row. The Reds would not win another majority in Parliament until 35 years after the end of the war that created the Deep Red Republic (580 years after the death of the Hero of Brightwall), and the Blues would regain their majority in Parliament just seven years later (587 years after the death of the Hero of Brightwall). 587 to 636 years after the death of the Hero of Brightwall, the Blue Party won eight elections to Parliament in a row. The Reds finally were elected by the Albion voters to a parliamentary majority 643 years after the death of the Hero of Brightwall. Elections to Parliament 650 to 1000 Years after the Death of the Hero of Brightwall ADHB=After the death of the Hero of Brightwall 650 ADHB: Blues 99 seats, Reds 51 seats 657 ADHB: Blues 120 seats, Reds 30 seats (Election of new Parliament delayed due to war war with the Deep Red Republic 662 to 665 ADHB) 665 ADHB: Blues 79 seats, Reds 71 seats 672 ADHB: Blues 80 seats, Reds 69 seats, one independent won a seat 679 ADHB: Blues 87 seats, Reds 63 seats 686 ADHB: Reds 77 seats, Blues 73 seats 693 ADHB: Blues 102 seats, Reds 48 seats 700 ADHB: Blues 110 seats, Reds 40 seats 707 ADHB: Blues 124 seats, Reds 26 seats 714 ADHB: Blues 141 seats, Reds nine seats (Albion is plagued by a war with the Deep Red Republic 720 to 731 ADHB, delaying the election of Parlament) 731 ADHB: Blues 91 seats, Reds 57 seats, two independents win seats 738 ADHB: Blues 82 seats, Reds 68 seats 745 ADHB: Reds 80 seats, Blues 70 seats 752 ADHB: Blues 78 seats, Reds 72 seats 759 ADHB: Blues 76 seats, Reds 74 seats 766 ADHB: Blues 81 seats, Reds 69 seats 773 ADHB: Blues 77 seats, Reds 73 seats 780 ADHB: Blues 80 seats, Reds 70 seats 787 ADHB: Blues 74 seats, Reds 70 seats, Purple Party (dissident Blues) six seats; Purples join Reds in forming parliamentary majority 794 ADHB: Blues 83 seats, Reds 67 seats 801 ADHB: Blues 85 seats, Reds 65 seats 808 ADHB: Blues 90 seats, Reds 60 seats 815 ADHB: Blues 91 seats, Reds 59 seats 822 ADHB: Blues 100 seats, Reds 50 seats 829 ADHB: Blues 99 seats, Reds 51 seats (830 to 848 sees much of Albion plagued by civil war pitting a dissident military regime in southern Albion against the legitimate royal government; this delays the election of a new Parlament). 848 ADHB: Blues 69 seats, Reds 69 seats, Green Crosses (dissident Blues) 12 seats; Green Crosses join Reds in forming parliamentary majority 855 ADHB: Blues 79 seats, Reds 71 seats 862 ADHB: Blues 87 seats, Reds 63 seats 869 ADHB: Blues 90 seats, Reds 60 seats 876 ADHB: Blues 103 seats, Reds 47 seats 883 ADHB: Blues 120 seats, Reds 30 seats 890 ADHB: Blues 111 seats, Reds 39 seats 897 ADHB: Blues 78 seats, Reds 72 seats 904 ADHB: Reds 89 seats, Blues 61 seats 911 ADHB: Reds 67 seats, Blues 66 seats, Yellow Party (dissident Reds) 17 seats; Yellows join Blues in forming parliamentary majority 918 ADHB: Blues 123 seats, Reds 27 seats 925 ADHB: Blues 101 seats, Reds 49 seats 932 ADHB: Blues 92 seats, Reds 58 seats 939 ADHB: Blues 88 seats, Reds 62 seats 946 ADHB: Blues 82 seats, Reds 68 seats 953 ADHB: Blues 78 seats, Reds 72 seats 960 ADHB: Reds 77 seats, Blues 73 seats 967 ADHB: Blues 80 seats, Reds 70 seats 974 ADHB: Blues 90 seats, Reds 53 seats, independents win seven seats 981 ADHB: Blues 86 seats, Reds 64 seats 988 ADHB: Blues 80 seats, Reds 70 seats 995 ADHB: Blues 76 seats, Reds 69 seats, Jones Cabal (pro-republic supporters) five seats